Oral canine feed and methods for controlling tick infestations in a canine

Abstract

An oral canine feed and a method of controlling ticks in a canine in need thereof by orally administering to the canine an effective amount of a isoxazoline for an effective time to thereby cause the amount of isoxazoline in the canine's blood to rise to and maintain at a therapeutically effective level for controlling ticks.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of controlling a tick infestation in a canine in need thereof, comprising orally administering to said canine an effective amount of an isoxazoline for an effective time at a frequency of at least four times per month. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said frequency is selected from the group consisting of at least 3 times per week, substantially daily and daily. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said effective time comprises administering the isoxazoline for a period of time selected from the group consisting of at least one week and at least two weeks. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising discontinuing the administration of isoxazoline for a period of time selected from the group consisting of at least 3 days and at least 7 days, wherein the canine's blood concentration of isoxazoline is maintained at a therapeutically effective level. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising resuming the administration of isoxazoline after the discontinuing of the administration of isoxazoline and thereby maintaining the canine's blood concentration of isoxazoline at the therapeutically effective level. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said administration provides a therapeutically effective level of isoxazoline in said canine's blood within a period of time selected from the group consisting of one week of the first administration of said isoxazoline and two days of the first administration of said isoxazoline. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said administration provides a therapeutically effective level of isoxazoline in said canine's blood for a period of time selected from the group consisting of at least 30 days, at least 60 days, at least 90 days, at least 180 days and at least 365 days. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said isoxazoline is administered for a frequency selected from the group consisting of at least 15 out of 30 days, and at least 20 out of 30 days. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the isoxazoline is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of: mivorilaner, a salt of mivorilaner, afoxolaner, a salt of afoxolaner, sarolaner, a salt of sarolaner, fluralaner, a salt of fluralaner, umifoxolaner, a salt of umifoxolaner, esafoxolaner, a salt of esafoxolaner, tigolaner, a salt of tigolaner, lotilaner, and a salt of lotilaner. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said isoxazoline is mivorilaner, or a salt thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said mivorilaner or salt thereof is provided in a feed in an amount selected from the group consisting of: between about 0.001 to about 0.4 percent by weight of the feed; and between about 0.002 to about 0.24 percent by weight of the feed. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said mivorilaner or salt thereof is administered to said canine in an amount selected from the group consisting of: between about 0.21 mg/kg and about 3.33 mg/kg of body weight of said canine and between about 0.33 mg/kg; and about 1.5 mg/kg of body weight of said canine. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said administration provides a concentration of mivorilaner of more than about 400 ng/mL and less than about 12,000 ng/mL in said canine's blood for a period of time selected from the group consisting of at least 30 days and at least 365 days. 
     
     
         14 . A feed or chew for controlling ticks in a canine, comprising an effective amount of an isoxazoline when administered to said canine for an effective time at a frequency of at least four times per month. 
     
     
         15 . The feed or chew of  claim 14 , wherein the feed is a dry feed or a wet feed. 
     
     
         16 . The feed or chew of  claim 14 , wherein said isoxazoline is a component of a feed that comprises one or more other active substances. 
     
     
         17 . The feed or chew of  claim 14 , wherein the isoxazoline is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of: mivorilaner, a salt of mivorilaner, afoxolaner, a salt of afoxolaner, sarolaner, a salt of sarolaner, fluralaner, a salt of fluralaner, umifoxolaner, a salt of umifoxolaner, esafoxolaner, a salt of esafoxolaner, tigolaner, a salt of tigolaner, lotilaner, and a salt of lotilaner. 
     
     
         18 . The feed or chew of  claim 17 , wherein said isoxazoline is mivorilaner or a salt thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The feed or chew of  claim 18 , wherein said mivorilaner or salt thereof is provided in the feed or chew in an amount selected from the group consisting of: between about to about 0.4 percent by weight of the feed; and between about 0.002 to about 0.24 percent by weight of the feed or the chew. 
     
     
         20 . The feed or chew of  claim 18 , wherein said mivorilaner or salt thereof is administered to said canine in an amount selected from the group consisting of: between about 0.21 mg/kg and about 3.33 mg/kg of body weight of said canine; and between about mg/kg and about 1.5 mg/kg of body weight of said canine.